After watching Jared McCain score 20 points against the Spurs last night, the 76ers probably questioned whether trading him was the right move, and the Pistons may be kicking themselves for not trying to get involved.
The Thunder made a surprising deadline deal for McCain, giving up what became the 22nd pick in this year’s draft plus three future second-rounders. McCain is only 22 and just made his first playoff start for Oklahoma City in a crucial Game 5 win.
Looking back at the low price the Thunder paid, it seems the Pistons and specifically general manager Trajan Langdon should have stepped in. It would have made their summer much easier.
Detroit’s missed opportunity with Jared McCain
McCain might never be a true second option, but he’s a 22-year-old who just proved he can drop 20+ points in a playoff game exactly what Detroit needs.
The Pistons ended up with the 21st pick (though they didn’t know it at the time), so they could have theoretically offered a better package than OKC, especially since Detroit has plenty of second-round picks to spare.
The Thunder gambled that a late first-rounder in this draft was riskier than McCain, who is the same age as or younger than many prospects in that range.
To be fair, OKC had two other first-round picks, so the risk was smaller than it would have been for the Pistons, who only had one. Still, if Detroit had reworked the Ivey deal and targeted McCain instead of Huerter, they’d be in a much better spot.
McCain is also low-risk given his age and salary team-controlled for two more seasons at 4.4millionand6.7 million. That’s a huge bargain for OKC just as their payroll is about to rise.
McCain wouldn’t have solved every Pistons problem, but he would’ve made their offseason far easier.
A strong fit in Detroit
The Pistons enter the offseason needing shooting and scoring as usual. McCain could have provided both at a bargain price. Teams often hoard draft picks out of fear of missing the next big thing, but Detroit would be lucky to find a rotation player at 21st overall let alone someone who can start for the league’s best team in the playoffs.
A Robinson/McCain backcourt duo would have given the Pistons confidence at guard and allowed them to focus on bigger needs.
It’s all hypothetical now, but it sure seems like Detroit and several other teams passed on a chance to land a young, high-upside player on a terrific contract.
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